The present invention relates to a data carrying mailer assembly and a method and apparatus for forming the same and more particularly but not exclusively to a fully sealed, multi-piece two-way mailer assembly, that is a combined mailer and return unit which, when opened, provides several separated data carrying pieces. The return unit may be in the form of either an envelope, a ready gummed panel for forming an envelope or a card.
In its preferred form the invention relates to a personalised, data carrying, mailer assembly formed from single sheets and personalised in a single continuous production line.
Mailer and return units are often employed when it is desired to present information to a large number of individuals (the primary addresses) and obtain a response from the individuals, for example order forms or requests for further information. This requires a primary envelope for sending the data to the primary addressee, data sheets to be retained by and/or returned by the primary addressee and a correctly addressed (normally to the sender) return unit.
Many proposals have been made to produce such an assembly but these are either complicated and thus expensive to produce or inadequate in the flexibility and amount of presentation of data which can be provided or they lack a return unit. For example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,942 and 2,895,664 both involve the use of two separate sheets of paper in the construction of the mailer and return unit. These separate sheets must be appropriately aligned and secured together which is undesirable.
U.K. Patent Specifications Nos. 2135241 and 2117319 each provide a two-way envelope assembly formed from a single sheet but no separate data bearing panels so that the primary envelope needs to be manually stuffed with additional data-bearing sheet or sheets.
U.K. Patent Specification No. 2029371 discloses a primary sealed mailer formed by making two folds in a single sheet and securing the edges; when three edge marginal portions are separted this provides both a single and a double panel data bearing piece but no return unit.
European Patent Specification No. 0,097,421 discloses a sealed mailer with a return unit but only a single data sheet is provided on the initial opening of the mailer. The assembly is formed from a continuous web by a single fold along the longitudinal centre line and can thus use only a standard width of continuous web paper with limited adaptability to provide more folds or larger maximum dimension.
It is highly desirable that the data panels as well as the primary mailing unit bear information personal to each addressee, for example besides the name and address of the addressee on the primary mailer, it is desirable to have his name or promotional literature within the body of the text and for example a code such as a personal number for computer handling of returned forms or entry in a prize draw. To data such personalisation on a production line using individual sheets has been limited to providing a name and address within a relatively large area where accuracy is not required or personalisation has been possible over only a limited area of a continuous web production line. Where accurately located pesonalisation has been achieved it has been on a separate production line from that producing the mailer assembly. It has not been possible to produce accurately located personalisation of data at selected positions on individual sheets passing through a production line for forming a mailer assembly.
One object of the present invention is to provide personalised mailer assemblies which are made and personalised in a single production line from single separate sheets of material. Another object is to provide multi-piece, sealed, two-way mailer assemblies which are made by folding and glueing from single separate sheets of material on a single production line.
A further object is to provide a method and apparatus for making a multi-piece, fully sealed, two-way mailer assembly which preferably includes an adaptable ink jet printer in the production line for personalisation.
A further object is to provide a method and apparatus for making a multi-piece return mailer assembly in which the number and size of pieces provided when the mailer is opened is easily varied by varying the number and size of roll folds, thus giving easy adaptability without varying the whole production process.
Further and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.